Neck aging and Lift explained

Hi, I’m Dr. Ethan Baughman, board-certified plastic surgeon in Westlake Village.

Do you feel like your neck looks older than your face? Let’s talk about a neck lift.

As we age, three main things happen in the neck: the skin becomes loose, fat can accumulate under the chin, and the platysma muscle starts to separate—creating those vertical bands people often notice.

A neck lift is designed to address all of that. Through small, well-hidden incisions behind the ears—and sometimes a tiny one under the chin—I tighten the underlying muscle, remove or contour fat, and redrape the skin to restore a sharper jawline.

The goal is not to look tight or overdone. It’s to look natural—like a more refreshed version of yourself.

If you find yourself pulling your skin back in the mirror to see what you’d look like with a defined jawline, you’re probably a good candidate.